Can Low Calorie Sweeteners Help Hispanics Lose Weight?

For many people, a first step in the fight to lose weight is to replace added sugars in beverages and foods with low calorie sweeteners. But among Hispanics in the United States, who face a growing problem with overweight and obesity, low calorie sweetener use is much lower than average. Could a switch to low calorie sweeteners help Hispanics shed some pounds?

In a March 2015, the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a research paper that looked at socio-economic trends among low calorie sweetener (LCS) use in the United States. The research team, led by Dr. Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington analyzed data from more than 22,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2008. Low calorie sweeteners included sucralose, stevia, aspartame and saccharin, among others. Researchers found several differences by racial/ethnic background, gender, age and income:

• Racial/Ethnic: Hispanics were less likely to use low calorie sweeteners than non-Hispanic whites. Nearly 1 in 3 white adults (32.7%) used low calorie sweeteners versus roughly 1 in 5 Mexican-Americans (22.2%) or other Hispanics (21.1%). Non-Hispanic black adults were the least likely to use low calorie sweeteners (17.5%).
• Gender: Women were more likely to use low calorie sweeteners than men.
• Age: Older adults (ages 45 – 74) were more likely to use low calorie sweeteners than younger adults (ages 20-44).
• Income: Low calorie sweetener use was higher among people with higher incomes and education levels.

The data for the Hispanic population was especially disconcerting, given reports from the Center for Disease Control that 42.5% of Hispanic adults are obese, increasing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and other health problems. As of 2014, nearly 13% of Hispanic adults had been diagnosed with diabetes. The calorie cutting benefits from low calorie sweeteners could help Hispanics lose weight and reduce their risk for serious health problems.

How can low calorie sweeteners help?

It’s simple math. If you eat or drink more calories that you burn off in a day, the extra calories become extra weight. If you burn off more calories than you eat or drink, you lose weight. The average adult needs about 2,000 calories per day.

Many people focus on what they’re eating – and forget that beverages count too.  Calories from beverages made with added sugars can add up quickly: a sweetened 12-ounce soda has 148 calories. The same size drink made with a low calorie sweetener has fewer than 10 calories and 0 grams of sugar.  Anyone who drinks multiple sweetened drinks per day can easily add hundreds of calories to his or her daily intake. Even fruit drinks or fruit juices have calories: an 8-ounce glass of orange juice has 110 calories.

One possible explanation for limited use of low calorie sweetener beverages by Hispanics is taste: many Hispanics prefer fruit flavors which weren’t available in low calorie sweetener form. Popular Hispanic drinks, like agua fresca, licuado (or batido) or refresco, are made with fruit juices and added sugar.  Fruit drinks – beverages made with small amounts of juice or with fruit flavorings – are often made with sugar too. In recent years, more low calorie sweetener versions of fruit juices and fruit drinks have become available, which means that Hispanics have more options to enjoy low sugar forms of favorite drinks.

Losing weight is challenging, but not impossible. I always recommend that people start out by simply cutting extra calories that won’t leave them feeling hungry. Beverages are an easy way to start. An 8-ounce glass of a sugar-sweetened beverage fills you up as much as a glass of water or low calorie sweetened drink. So why not skip the sugar and save the calories? By replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with low calorie sweetened drinks, people could save hundreds of calories per day – the first step on the road to a healthy weight.

Sylvia Meléndez Klinger, RD is a scientific advisor with the Calorie Control Council.